Professor of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Michael E. Thase, MD, joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in January, 2007 as Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Department of Psychiatry’s Mood and Anxiety Section after more than 27 years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Thase also directs the Mood Disorders Research studies at the Philadelphia Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

A 1979 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Thase is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Vice Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Dr. Thase has been elected to the membership of the American College of Psychiatrists and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr. Thase’s research, which has been continuously funded by the Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for nearly 30 years, focuses on the assessment and treatment of mood disorders, including studies of the differential therapeutics of both depression and bipolar affective disorder.  Current research projects include studies of novel ketamine-like compounds, a multicenter study of the efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for depressed veterans (funded as a cooperative study by the Veteran Healthcare Administration); a multicenter trial comparing the effectiveness and tolerability of lithium and quetiapine for bipolar depression (funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and conducted as part of the Bipolar Treatment Network); and a large scale noninferiority trial comparing a novel computer-administered form of cognitive therapy versus the conventional 20 session/16 week model of treatment (two center trial funded by National Institute of Mental Health, with J. Wright of University of Louisville). Dr. Thase has authored or coauthored more than 600 scientific articles and book chapters, as well as 16 books.